Natalie Kamajian is a PhD student in Culture and Performance at the World Arts and Cultures/Dance department at UCLA. She is also a practitioner and teacher of Armenian vernacular dances, and has been learning and practicing dance in Armenia for over a decade. Her PhD dissertation is a multilingual study that will constitute the first ever critical investigation of Armenian dance. Outside of UCLA, Natalie is the co-Founder and Dance Director of Lernazang–a cultural collective, performance ensemble, and non-profit organization whose mission is to strengthen Armenian cultural heritage in Los Angeles.